Famous Suicides Jack London

About the famous American writer Jack London, biography and history of the suicide.

JACK LONDON (1876-1916)

Life: American writer and great outdoorsman, Jack London is best known for his books The Call of the Wild, The Sea Wolf, and White Fang. His search for the realities in life and death extended throughout his career. A sailor, oyster pirate, hobo, gold prospector, factory hand, and war correspondent, London embodied his experiences and philosophies in 51 books written over a span of 16 years. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and his "passionate affirmation of life, his faith in the ultimate perfectibility, through struggle, of man and society" remains internationally popular.

Death: Although he suffered from digestive ailments, uremia, rheumatism, and insomnia, London rejected the advice of his doctors. The effects of too much alcohol coupled with a poor diet resulted in severe illness and pain. At age 40, he took a lethal dose of "morphine sulphate with atropine sulphate."